Nico Rosberg said that Mercedes maximised its potential to finish fifth in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but that it required a recovery drive after a poor start.

Lining up fifth on the grid, Rosberg finished the first lap down in ninth place and was unable to make progress prior to his first pit stop. Though many had tipped Mercedes to struggle with tyre degradation in the heat, Rosberg then made steady progress to finish fifth and he said the strategy helped him score solid points.

"I had a pretty bad first lap today, but after that I was able to recover and get the most of our race," Rosberg said. "We had a good strategy and the pace of the car was pretty strong compared to the start of the season, although it was difficult to make progress as there were a lot of cars fighting for the same positions."

Rosberg said that the result was a sign that Mercedes is still moving forwards, and added that he would be returning to Germany to celebrate a pair of flyaway races that included his first ever grand prix victory.

"Overall I'm happy with our weekend as fifth place gives me a few more points and I can see that we are making progress. Now we have a short break where we can work hard in the factory ready for the start of the European season. Before that, I'm looking forward to visiting the DTM opening race in Hockenheim next Saturday. It's my first chance to return to Germany after two good weekends, particularly of course the win in China, and I look forward to celebrating that together with our fans."